Like Cavendish, Boasson Hagen won from a sprint - but whilst Cavendish won a full-on mass dash for the line, on this occasion, Boasson Hagen was the fastest of a break of four riders.

“Edvald sprinted so strongly for the line that there wasn’t anybody else in the finishing photo.” sports director Tristan Hoffman said. “It was a really classy charge for the line.”

Already a winner of a time trial stage in the Criterium International this season, the  20-year-old formed part of a day-long break of 15 that was then whittled down to six.

“He jumped away with five other guys on the second to last lap at a danger point where there was a bit of a climb and a cross-wind and I’d warned them attacks could go.” Hoffman recounted.

“[French sprinter] Jimmy Casper was still in that move, so Edvald tried again and wore the rest out with another attack,” - which reduced the lead group even further, to just four.

“Then in the finish he went again and this time the other guys were too tired to respond.”

High Road team-mate Andreas Klier formed part of the initial 15-man move and helped maintain the break stay clear. He later abandoned because he started feeling ill “but did a terrific job setting things up for Edvald to make his move later on.”

“Strategically we had a great scenario because if the group came back, then we had Mark [Cavendish] and other High Road riders there fresh and waiting for a sprint.”
Hoffman emphasised that the latest success by a young High Road rider “shows how well the team’s focus on new talent is working.”

“The great thing too is that it’s not just one of them either, - Mark, Edvald, Tony Martin: they are all winning.”